How women should train for greater strength
When you’re young it’s impossible to imagine ever struggling to carry a bag full of groceries, or pick up a kid that needs a cuddle, or walk up a flight of stairs without having your legs shake.
These everyday tasks, often taken for granted in youth, can become daunting with age if muscle strength is not maintained, and these scenarios highlights a crucial, yet often overlooked, aspect of women’s health: the importance of building and preserving muscle strength throughout their lives.
Victoria Felkar, a renowned strength coach and researcher, offers invaluable insights on how women of all ages can train to build muscular strength and sheds light on the crucial importance of muscle strength for women’s health and longevity.
For pre-menopausal women, muscle strength can enhance metabolic rate, improve body composition, and boost bone density, which is essential in preventing osteoporosis later in life. Strong muscles also aid in better posture, reduce the risk of injuries, and enhance physical performance in daily activities and sports.
As women transition into menopause, maintaining muscle mass becomes even more critical. Post-menopausal women face a higher risk of sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. This decline can lead to frailty, reduced mobility, and a higher risk of falls and fractures. Strength training is a powerful tool to combat these issues, helping to maintain muscle mass, preserve metabolic health, and ensure independence and quality of life in later years.
Muscle strength also has profound implications for hormonal health because resistance training can help regulate insulin sensitivity and blood glucose levels, reducing the risk of type-2 diabetes. It also positively influences mood and mental health by releasing endorphins, the body’s natural stress relievers.
In our exclusive interview Felkar reveals the effective strategies for women to build and maintain muscle strength throughout their lives, both pre and post-menopause, to ensure you can live the healthier, stronger and more active life you want.
